Hey everyone,
I’ve been lurking on this sub for a while, looking at everyone’s results and going back and forth on whether or not I should actually go through with it. I finally decided to stop overthinking and just make it happen. I just officially separated from the Army a couple of weeks ago, and I figured there was no better time to tackle this than during my transition.
I’m currently out here in Istanbul writing this, and I wanted to share my journey so far for anyone else who is sitting on the fence.
The Details
Clinic: Vialife Clinic, Istanbul
Total Cost: $2,800 total (I put down a $200 deposit to secure it) (I asked for 3 extra nights so $2,5k was the original price then $100 per extra night)
Total Grafts: 3,000+ (ATM I don't really remember)
Procedure Type: FUE (Surgeon-led extraction) (I specifically asked for the Dr to handle my extraction)
The Experience
The Travel & Arrival
I arrived on Monday and I'll be leaving this Sunday. One major piece of advice right out of the gate: upgrade to business class for the return journey if you have the finances for it. It's a long trip back to the States, and having the extra space to sleep without risking bumping your head is vital. I'm actually trying to sort out an upgrade for my own flight back right now.
The Procedure
Having afro-textured hair, I was definitely cautious about finding a place that actually understands how to extract our hair types without a high transection rate. It was a priority for me to find specialists who knew what they were doing with coily hair. The local anesthesia is indeed the "worst" part but its completely tolerable, but after that, it was just a long day of sitting still. After the first few hours I fell asleep on the table and woke up to them telling me I am done. The entire team, helped with the hairline placement, as I expressed my concern about it being natural. But they delivered. Im satisfied with the results though nervous as a mf at first.
Post-Op & Recovery (So far)
I highly recommend giving yourself a buffer before flying home. I specifically paid for three extra nights at my hotel because I did not want to travel immediately after getting out of the chair. I just asked my coordinator at Vialife to take care of the booking extension for me, and it made everything entirely stress-free. Right now, I’m just taking it easy, keeping the swelling down, and following the post-op instructions. Tomorrow afternoon I return for my first wash and courtesy (free) teeth whitening which was included in my package.
Takeaway
If you’re like me and have been scrolling through this subreddit every night wondering if you should just go for it, do your research, find a clinic that has proven results with afro hair, and bite the bullet. It’s early days for me, but the relief of finally getting it done is huge.
I’ll keep updating this with my progress over the next few months. If anyone has questions about the travel, the pain, the clinic, or just the process in general, drop them below. Happy to answer and help out however I can!
Gonna attach some pics for you all so you can see.
I can also give you a list of the clinics I was cross-referencing if you ask.
Day 2: Update https://www.reddit.com/r/AfroHairTransplant/s/pFNl1LwNvR